Wednesday, January 14, 1998Last modified at 1:44 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14, 1998

Brownfield city attorney to be discussed

By JOHN WISE

Avalanche-Journal

A measure that has the potential to spell trouble for Brownfield City Attorney Bill McGowan Jr. will be discussed by the City Council Thursday.

Council members are scheduled to draft a request for legal services at a workshop session Thursday. The request could mean McGowan's replacement.

At last Thursday's meeting McGowan expressed disgust with the council, stating he was offended by recent attempts to oust him. McGowan's law firm has represented the city since soon after his grandfather, Joe J. McGowan, came to Brownfield more than 70 years ago.

McGowan - the city's legal counsel for 24 years - has been under fire since November, when four council members questioned his legal bills to the city. The councilmen said they thought the bills, which were about $20,000 over his $60,000 budget in 1996, were too high.

The issue deadlocked the council in November, with council members David Ervin, Gilbert Garza, Barney Lindly and Alvin Mirll voting to oust McGowan, and Mayor George Cox and council members Roy Edwards, Nancy Wade and Larry Yowell voting to keep him.

At Thursday's meeting, council members supporting McGowan said they thought replacing him right away would be too hasty.

"I think we're not giving him credit for some of the things he's doing," said council member Nancy Wade. Edwards and Yowell said they agreed.

McGowan has said his memberships in city-oriented organizations, which often meet in Austin, Dallas and Houston, municipal court cases and unforeseen lawsuits against the city have contributed to his billing.

Rather than issue a request that could result in McGowan's replacement, the council opted to discuss the matter and draw up a request in the event that it is needed.

However, during the meeting council member Mirll told City Manager Dick Fletcher he wanted the council to vote on the request's issuance at the next meeting. A request from Mirll or any council member places the item on the agenda.

If the council votes to issue the request, McGowan would keep his position through March 31, and would have the opportunity to submit his proposal, Fletcher has said.